You Need to Know: Harry Papas

The owner of Harry's Tailor Shop in North Dallas makes the chic look chicer.

By Silver HogueFrom D CEO May-June 2010photography by Joshua Martin

TITLE: Master tailor and owner of Harry’s Tailor Shop in Dallas

DETAILS: Papas was born in Greece, where his family was in the tailoring business for generations. At 19 he moved to Charlotte, N.C., to apprentice for his tailor-brother Tommy, and spent the next six years honing his trade. In 1985, he moved to Dallas to open his first shop.

WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW HIM: Because he and his team at the Preston Road shop ensure Dallas’ chicest wardrobes are a cut above the rest. Papas’ warm disposition makes a fitting feel like a visit with an old friend, which can be especially refreshing when estimating waistbands and crotch lengths.

The 48-year-old knows his clients don’t mess around when it comes to looking sharp; it’s why he chose Dallas in the first place. “People in this town care about the way they look,” Papas says. “A well-tailored wardrobe is essential.”

Even with a handpicked staff of six, Papas prefers to do fittings himself, particularly for his longtime clients, many of them businesspeople. Among the regulars: O.S. Hawkins, CEO of GuideStone Financial Resources; William S. Spears, CEO of Energy Education; and KXAS-TV (Channel 5) reporter/anchor Brian Curtis.

Passion and patience, the meticulous Papas says, are the keys to good tailoring. And for his long list of loyal clients, Papas is the key to achieving a polished look in a city that sets the bar high.